Ski binding and automatic opener therefor



Aug. 20, 1957 F. VON OPEL 2,803,467

SKI BINDING AND AUTOMATIC OPENER THEREFOR Filed Jan. 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

55% mug/ K;

Aug. 20, 1957 F- VON- OPEL. 2,803,467

SKI BINDING AND AUTOMATIC OPENER THEREFOR Filed Jan. 28, 1953 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 20, 1957 F. VON OPEL SKI BINDING AND AUTOMATIC OPENER THEREFOR Filed Jan. 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1957 F. VON OPEL 2,803,467

SKI BINDING AND AUTOMATIC OPENER THEREFOR Filed Jan. 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY- Unit tates SKI BENDING'AND AUTQNLATIC OPENER TEERFJFOR Fritzvon Gpel, St. Moritz, Switzerland Application January 28, 1953, Serial No. 333,635

Claims priority, appiication Germany'lanuary 29,1952

3 Claims. (Cl. 28Q-1L35} The present invention relates to a new ski binding and automatic opener therefor.

The ski binding according to the invention, and its automatic opener, are so designed that-accidents will be prevented by automatic release'of the skibinding from-the leg, more particularly by separation of the connection between boot and ski.

In the known ski'bin'dings, attempts'have been made to bring about aseparation of boot and ski by interposing between the'same elastic or yielding parts, thereby limiting the torsional rnoment which is transmitted to the boot'upon constrained twisting of the ski, and which is in turn transmitted from-the boot to'the foot and leg the separation of bootand-ski is made dependent on a twist of the ski-in ahorizontal plane parallel to an assumed horizontal plane-through the hip or the pelvis.

The present invention permits of use any desired rigid ski binding, so that a complete control of the ski in any position of'motion is achieved. Only when by a bad fall of the skieror by -a faulty-movement of the body, an abnormal twist is brought about, will the binding automatically become released, and a further distortion of the limbs leading to injuries will be avoided without any torsional moment being necessary to bring this about.

To make the opening of the binding dependent on an angular displacement of the ski or the foot with respect to the pelvis or the hip, the latter is connected, according to the invention, with the foot or the ski of the skier or with some part thereof, by longitudinally flexible torsion resistant parts. As connecting means, according to the invention, 1 may use universal joints on a shaft, or use a flexible shaft. In carrying out the invention, I may, for instance, fasten the flexible shaft or the like on a buckle, metal strip, or a similar planar member and secure it against torsion by pressing the buckle or the like against the hip. The free lower shaft end, which is secured to the foot or ski, is capable of executing a relative movement with respect to the twisting foot.

The invention afiords the possibility of using this relative movement of the free shaft end with respect to the ski to actuate any desired mechanical means by which the opening of the connection between ski and boot or foot will be effected. The construction of the binding to be used and the means for opening may be of great variety. For instance, the binding may have toe irons mounted for lateral tilting or shifting; or means may be Patented Aug. 20, 1957 ZCQ 'providedlfor releasingithe tensionor the'thrust'by which the bootisipressed into .the toe irons of the binding.

It is furthermore immaterial whatmeans .are provided for effectingthe opening of the'binding upon'angular movement. of the free shaft end. .The free shaft endmay,

'for instance, be :provided with cams, bolts or locking members whose turning .01" disengagement opens the binding.

:In. the following "the. device according to the invention -will hemore fully .described Iwith reference to the 'ac companying drawings wherein like numerals refer'to' like parts :throughout, but itshould'be understood that these are givenbyway of illustration onlyandthat'many modifications 'in .the .details tmay be a made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Fig. '1 shows atschematic side elevational view ofithe device accordingto. the invention, asattachedto the body of the skier;

:Fig. 2 is a .schematic plan view of the ski as seen from above;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the device taken on line 3-3 of'Fig.-4;

Fig.-4.is a side elevational viewof the detail shown'in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is 'a sectional view of another detail taken on in Fig. '8;

Fig. 11:is asectional'view'taken on line 11-11.of

Fig.9;

Fig. 12 1s a sectional viewi'of another.detail,:taken on Fig. 13 is -a plan view of the detail'shown in .Fig. l2;

Fig. 14 is a frontview of the device in closedposition,

Fig. 15 is a'front view of the device in releasing position,

Fig. 16 -is-a cross-section ofithereleaseimechanism taken on line 16- 16 ofFig.l14.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the body of the skier, designated by 1, carries a belt 2 which is wound around the torso of the skier in the height of the hip and pressed against it by a small planar buckle or metal strip 3. One end of a longitudinally flexible shaft 4 is fastened to member 3 and held secure against twisting thereat. The shaft 4 is preferably disposed inside the pants of the skier and only reaches the outside a short distance above the boot. If desired, a guiding channel for the shaft may be provided inside the pants by sewing on some tape, or the like. Fastened to the lower end of shaft 4 is a member 5 hooked into a loop-shaped part 6 arranged in turn at the end of a lever 7. Lever 7 is connected at a point designated by 8 to a toe iron 9 of the binding and is subjected to the turning force of a rubber torsion spring, later to be described, which has the tendency to turn the lever down. The actual turning down of lever 7 can only occur after member 5 takes up a certain angular position with respect to loop 6.

In Figs. 3 and 4, member 5 is shown on a larger scale, whereas loop 6 is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7. When a connection is made between the two parts, the lips 5a are made to lie against the underside of the horizontal end 6a of loop 6. Slipping out of member 5 and detachment from loop 6 only becomes possible when the two members 5 and 6 are turned with respect to each other to such an extent that the lips 5a are in a position to escape through slots 6b. The opening for connecting lever 7 to loop 6 is designated by 60.

The part of the binding comprising the toe irons and the releasing mechanism for the binding is more particularly shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and ll. Figs. 8,9, 10 and 11, taken in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 2, show the binding mechanism in boot holding position; The toe irons are designated by 9; they comprise an extension 10, extending across the ski, a base plate 11 and a'hinge 12, which connects the base plate with the toe irons proper. A U-shaped lever 14 is linked to extension 10 by means of a pin 13. Lever 14 engages in closed position by means of a pin 15 with a hook 16, which is attached to the ski proper. The U-shaped lever 14 is under the tension of a spring 17 and is held downward against the force of said spring and in closed position by a bolt 18 which is controlled by a compression spring 18a. Bolt 18 is designed for engagement with a rotatable member 20 having two arcuate projections, an outer projection 19a and an inner projection 19 for said engagement. The rotatable member 20 surrounds and is resiliently interconnected with the extension 7 by means of an annular rubber torsion member 20a adapted to urge the lever 7 downwardly so that loop-shaped part 6 will normally bear downwardly against the member 5 when the binding mechanism is in boot holding position. With the binding in closed position, bolt 18 lies againstvprojection 19. Lever 7 is fixedly connected to member 20.

Figs. 12 and 13 show in detail the hook 16 which can be adjustable in the slot of a metal plate 21. By means of a bolt 22, member 16 is secured in position.

The operation of the device is as follows: For connecting the binding to the link or shaft 4, lever 7 is pulled upwardly to bring loop 6 into position for member 5 to be hooked thereto. At the same time, member 20 as shown in Fig. 10 is turned in counterclockwise direction and bolt 18 is made to lie against the inner projection 19. The binding is now securely held to the boot of the skier by the mechanism as described above.

For release of the binding, member 5 has to beturned around in such a way that its lips 5a canslip through and to engage with 19a; whereupon spring 17 turns part 14 upwardly, which causes bolt 15 to become disengaged from hook 16. This frees the whole extension 10 of the binding, whereby toe iron 9, due to rotation of hinge 12, turns down and releases the ski boot for lateral twisting and for rectifying the distortion of the body.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment here described but may be modified in many respects as long as provision is made for an opening of the binding as soon as a twist between the ski and the body of the skier occurs; preferably, the opening is made dependent on the angular displacement of one end of a yieldable shaft whose other end is secured against torsion.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a ski binding, an automatic opening mechanism for said ski binding, said opening mechanism comprising fastening means adapted to be attached 7 to the torso of the skier at about hip level, an elongated torque resistant flexible shaft disposed substantially parallel with the leg of the skier and interconnecting said fastening means and said opening mechanism, the upper end of said shaft being rigidly secured to said fastening means so that the lower end of said shaft will turn with respect to the ski binding upon twisting motion ofthe skiers torso with respect to the ski binding, and means controlled by twisting motion of the lower end of said shaft with respect to said binding for actuating said opening mechanism to release said ski binding.

2. A ski binding device as defined in claim 1 wherein said ski binding comprises a toe iron and a hinge pivotally mounting said toeiron, said hinge being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski.

3.. A ski binding device as defined in claim 2 including an extension member connected to said toe iron and controlled by said opening mechanism, and wherein said opening mechanism comprises a locking lever journalled to said extension member, and hook-shaped locking means on the ski operative to engage with said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 2,517,795 Majneri Aug. 8, 1950 2,534,038 Lanz Dec. 12, 1950 2,669,459 Fleming Feb. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 417,267 Italy "Jan. 14, 1947 426,891 Italy Nov. 8, 1947 

